1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to neck exercising devices and in particular to an apparatus for gripping a human head for use in a neck musculature development and evaluation machine.
Few anatomical regions in the body are immune to injury resulting from participation in sports activities. Modern athletes, especially those who play football, are larger, faster, and stronger than those in years past. These physical advancements have been accompanied by improved equipment in an attempt to reduce the likelihood and severity of injury. The biggest advancement in football equipment appears to be in the helmet. Realizing this, athletes have frequently utilized the football helmet as a battering ram. While head injuries are rare because of the improved helmets, the tremendous forces generated in such collisions are likely to cause injury to other parts of the body, particularly the cervical vertebrae of the neck.
It has generally been recognized that the neck musculature of an athlete can be developed through exercise so as to reduce the chance of injury. Additionally, neck exercises may be prescribed for rehabilitation following injury. In either case, it is considered important to exercise all of the neck musculature, including not only those muscles which provide for flexion and extension of the head forward, backward, and laterally, but also those muscles which provide for rotational movement of the head. To exercise the neck musculature which provides for simple flexion and extension, the head is disposed adjacent a movable flat padded surface of an exercising machine. The neck musculature is exercised by pressing the head against the padded surface so as to move through a limited distance, often under a predetermined amount of mechanical resistance generated by the machine. However, to exercise the neck musculature which provides for rotational movement, it is necessary to provide some means for firmly gripping the head about its axis of rotation, as defined by the cervical vertebrae of the neck, so as to provide a secure connection to the exercising machine. Unfortunately, no apparatus is known for firmly gripping heads of varying shapes and sizes which insures such axial alignment, while still providing a reasonable amount of comfort to the wearer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,249 to Forrest discloses a neck exercising device which is capable of facilitating a complete neck exercise through frictionally-resisted pivotal movement on two axes. The neck exercising device is free-standing, and adjustable to trainees of different height, head sizes, and strength. The device permits neck exercise either through resisted pivotal movement on a horizontal first pivot axis effected, for example, by either side-to-side or front-to-back head motion depending upon the orientation of the trainee, through resisted pivotal movement effected by head twisting motion, or both.
Other neck exercising devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,855,202 to Kinne, U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,892, to Kosior, U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,259 to Brentham, U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,141 to Rooney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,193 to Newman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,124 to Vogler, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,011 to Voris.